St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery Parish Profile 2016

St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery

Parish Profile

2016

St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery Parish Profile 2016 1

MISSION Mission

As a diverse and inclusive Episcopal Church on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery is committed to expressing Gods love through worship and music, social justice activism, service, education, and celebration of the arts. The congregation practices radical welcome, accepting all

who wish to experience God as part of a loving and active community. Wherever anyone may be in their religious or spiritual journey, of whatever faith or background, everyone is invited to join us as we work to live out Gods love in the world. About St. Marks

St. Marks is a church with a history as long and meandering as the history of European settlement in Manhattan. It is the oldest site of continuous Christian worship in New York City and the burial site of Peter Stuyvesant and other major historical figures. Today St. Marks is a progressive Episcopal Church located in an historic landmarked building, a center for modern dance, ballet, poetry, and a community gathering space for the Lower East Side. (Please see Appendix 1 for an expanded history.)

WORSHIP AND CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

A St. Marks Sunday service is both rooted in the Epis-copal tradition and celebratory of the creativity and the diversity of the congregation. Many feel strongly that this balance is what makes the worship meaningful to them. Approximately 40% of the regular congregants have attended St. Marks for 2-5 years, approx. 15% have attended 5-10 years, and more than 20% have attended ten or more years. Located where we are, we include a large number of people for whom New York may not be a permanent home. This balance between new-comers and long-time attendees ensures that there is continuity as well as evolution. (Please see Appendix 2

for demographic information on the congregation.) Everything a person needs in order to participate in the service is in the bulletin, including the text of the readings and the hymns. The first thing someone looking at the bulletin will see is this statement: We welcome everyone, wherever you are on your spiritual journey. Please participate as fully as you feel comfortable. The St. Marks community considers this uncon-ditional welcome to be a vital part of the parish identity. Perhaps the strongest symbol of

St. Marks nourishes me most richly through the liturgies that we celebrate each Sunday and throughout the year. Each element of the liturgy is intentional and well-crafted in order to enhance our worship of God, but for me the centerpiece, and most spiritually nurturing elements of the liturgical structure are the Homily and the Eucharist. The preaching that I love at St. Marks is strong, bold, prophetic, intellectually rigorous, topical, expository, socially aware, scripturally based, historically nuanced, and Christ-centered.

--Comment from Parish Survey


welcome at St. Marks is that the church is set up in the round, with the altar in the center. There is no barrier between the clergy and the congregants, and no matter where one sits they are a part of the circle. During communion we stand in a tighter circle around the altar and pass the sacraments from person to person, connecting the entire congregation. As the accompanying photo illustrates, there are no pews in the Sanctuary. Carpeted risers were constructed around the Sanctuary

perimeter, and moveable chairs are used. The Sanctuary is a flexible physical space that allows us to worship in the round and frees us to incorporate varied musical styles into our Sunday worship. Music is a powerful and integral part of worship at St. Marks. We incorporate jazz, blues, gospel, and other musical genres into the Anglican musical tradition for the purpose of nurturing spirituality and inspiring social justice. The choir is made up of volunteers who rehearse for the hour before the service. Soloists and instrumental musicians often join the choir, adding breadth and depth to the music selections. There is a grand piano in the Sanctuary and also one in the Parish Hall (the organ was destroyed in the 1978 fire and never replaced). For special services, such as Christmas, Easter, and Pride Day, the choir has additional rehearsals. Good Friday Blues is a St. Marks tradition, developed over ten years ago by Bishop Kathy Roskam and Jeannine Otis, our Music Director. A variety of instrumental, choral and solo blues pieces set the Good Friday liturgysermons, prayers, veneration of the cross, and communion from reserved sacramentinto a professionally-acted presentation of Johns gospel in a powerfully moving way. It draws 250-300 people every year. We use inclusive terms for God and sing rather than recite the Creed so as to accommodate this gender-neutral language. However, we respect the language we find in Scripture (e.g. The Lords Prayer, which we also sing each Sunday) as part of our commitment to faithfully engage with and encounter the text as it comes to us. The Prayers of the People are said in a call-and-response fashion, led by a lay reader. When we reach the names of those for whom additional prayers have been asked we say those names aloud in unison, and every week the number of those killed or injured by guns in the United States that year is read off.

Members of the congregation take on the tasks of recruiting and scheduling activities such as readers, ushers, and the Altar Guild. The organizer of an activity communicates with volunteers via email and Basecamp, usually scheduling several months in advance. (See table below.) When asked what the most important aspects of worship at St. Marks, the community has responded especially strongly to three things: the community, the preaching, and the liturgy. Many people state that they feel nourished by sermons that

St. Marks is a place where your whole being is welcomed. We bring our hearts and our minds to worship. This acceptance makes the church feel like a safe place to be vulnerable in worship and encounter God.



challenged them, particularly when framed by current events and the issues that affect both the St. Marks community and the world. People regularly come from all five boroughs, New Jersey, and Connecticut to worship at St. Marks, to be challenged, called to action, comforted, and spiritually

nourished. A relatively small percentage of the congregation lives within walking distance and so many commit to a lengthy commute in order to attend worship at St. Marks. Regular weekday worship services include Wednesday evening prayer held in the Sanctuary, and Friday noon prayer held in the balcony Chapel. Neither of these services is highly attended, however each has a devoted group of faithful worshipers. Moreover, these services are where visitors sometimes encounter the spiritual life of St. Marks for the first time. We look forward to the next Rector continuing these services and exploring ways to promote and revitalize them. Additionally, we open our Sanctuary space every Thursday morning to welcome an independently-organized Mindfulness & Meditation gathering.

PARISH LIFE

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

The members of this church are generally active and intelligent. We value opportunities to discuss the Bible and its current relevance to our lives. Bible study has been held before Sunday service. Groups of four to eight have met, for four to six weeks, to discuss specific sections of the Bible. These series have occurred four times in each of the past two years. A number of parishioners are interested in additional study, but it is often difficult to find meeting times that work for those who are interested. Christian education has additionally been extended to people attending our church by the Rector in small groups. This happens two or three times a year, as necessary, when people express curiosity on the meaning of baptism or confirmation in the Church, or are interested in being formally received in the congregation. This could be expanded to included members who are interested, for example, in the Episcopal Church USAs relationship to the Anglican Communion and its implications. Church School has not been well attended in the past few years and currently there are no children who come to services on a regular basis. There is general agreement that the parish needs to attract and engage families with children to attend St. Marks. This indicates a need to reach out to our neighborhood and assure we have programs ready that will enrich the lives of children while imparting a loving Christian message.

Bible study at St. Marks has encouraged me to take a slower, more deliberative approach to my reading to better understand and discern the message and warnings Jesus and his disciples left us about the effect of empire/ government on the lives of people, how we are to live our lives and how we are to interact with others, particularly those less fortunate.


Community Involvement in Worship Leadership

(Percentage of 77 Survey Responses)

Readers 27.3%

Ushers 20.8%

Altar Guild 29.9%

Acolytes 11.7%

Choir and Music 26%


ACTIVITIES

Our congregation is comprised of activists in a number of issues, including issues of racism, gender-identity, and economic justice. We like to be challenged to action in pursuit of justice. We like to hear from leaders in these struggles who can bring us information from other parts of these movements. Our congregation celebrates marriage as gender-neutral and all couples wishing to solemnize their vows are welcome to be wed at St. Marks after appropriate pre-marital counseling.

Annual Events/Celebrations

Each year our parish holds a Martin Luther King dinner on his holiday in January. This is open to the community. Past speakers have discussed reconciliation, reparations, gun violence, and mass incarcerations with emphasis on the African-American experience. We hold a Pride Mass one of the last Sundays in June to coordinate with Gay Pride week in New York City. Our disco ball is a favorite! Marchers head to the Pride Parade together after the service.

Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner has been a social gathering for years, often accompanied by jazz music. We include the burning of palms and our past cares in a short service in the garden. We have had anywhere between 20 - 80 people attend in recent years.

In the fall we traditionally have the blessing of animals on St. Francis Day. Some Easter services have been followed by a pot-luck lunch in the parish hall or other festive gathering. Easter festivities also often include an Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday (this years hunt attracted 100 neighborhood children). We have a Homecoming celebration in September that includes an outdoor barbecue in the garden. There are other occasions that are celebrated with a cook-out in the garden, such as St. Marks Day.

Community Building Activities Coffee Hour: New York City has an active, diverse, and sometimes transient population. We frequently have visitors attend services at St. Marks who are in the city from other states and countries. As the congregation welcomes these visitors, we also display our church as a safe and sacred place. Our coffee hour after Sunday service is a vital time for us to connect socially as we have just re-connected spiritually in Communion. We convert our central altar table to an open table for all those who have gathered. This is also the time we get to know our visitors, what brings them to St Marks, and their spiritual journey. Many varied activities have been enjoyed by our congregation. In the past few years we have had pot-luck dinners, hosted by members from Lower Manhattan, Harlem, Brooklyn and Staten Island, in their

The community has been nurturing. Meeting new people after service during coffee hour and at pot lucks I think has brought me closer with people in the church and gives me a sense of belonging to a spiritual community. More social events outside of church would be goodjust to get together or to participate in events or outreach programs.



apartments. We have an old-time band that gathers and plays for services on occasion. Kickball games have been arranged with other congregations. Work parties for the gardens are scheduled in season, both to prepare the gardens for Spring and to settle them for Fall. Some yard work is carried out by students from a local special education high school as a way for them to get work experience and improve the neighborhood. Social Service & Social Justice Activities

St. Marks Food Pantry is a gleaning pantry offering seasonal support to those with food insecurity. During the spring, summer and fall, the Farmers Market that sells on Tuesdays in the small park in front of the church gives us the unsold produce and bread. This is stored in our kitchen for distribution the next evening. Although there are other, more comprehensive sources of food support in our area, our neighbors are thrilled to have fresh, healthy food for their families. Members of the congregation gather between 6-7 pm on Tuesday evenings to collect the food,

and another group comes at 5 pm on Wednesdays to set it up and distribute it. Approximately 95% of the people coming for food are from Chinatown.

There is currently a Black Lives Matter banner on display on the Portico roof guardrail of St Marks. (A larger one on the fence, pictured here, was stolen in the middle of the night.) After the death of Eric Garner in police custody, many members participated in demonstrations and protest marches in Manhattan and Staten Island. A letter-writing campaign in support of Amnesty International was held in 2013 and was quite successful. We have partnered with Rural Migrant Ministries for fundraisers, trips to legislators in Albany, and phone campaigns in support of farm workers. Our 2016 Lenten book discussion group on The

New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander held six sessions, which were well attended. There appears to be lively interest in developing a project to challenge racism in our community, and this is an area we would look for guidance from the next Rector. Pastoral Care is an area where the Rectors leadership will be highly valued. There are many in our congregation who desire support with lifes burdens. Special contact for those dealing with illness or infirmity is important, and our parish network could be better organized for this mission. Our interim pastor has made a start in recruiting a small group of congregation members to make visits to the sick and this is an area we would want to develop further in the future.

A strong sense of community [is a core value]. A commitment to living out the social justice message of the Gospel. A sense of involvement in the world outside usin our community, our nation, our world. A recognition of the need to celebrate our diversity and inclusion in our worship, music and ministry.



St. Marks needs a spiritual, supportive, intelligent, activist leader to guide us in the many interests of our parish. We hope for a collaborative and challenging relationship with our next Rector. We embrace liberation theology, and work for Gods justice and love in our lives.

COMMUNICATIONS St. Marks employs a variety of ways to keep in contact with members of the Congregation and friends: Weekly E-mail Newsletter: A weekly e-mail newsletter is sent to Congregation members, friends and visitors whove signed cards requesting to keep in touch. It is sent through MailChimp, a service that allows recipients to unsubscribe automatically if they do not wish to receive it. Currently, more than 600 people receive the weekly email newsletter, which contains reminders of events or activities at St. Marks in the coming week and includes a message from the priest. It also includes links to material on the churchs web site and other sources. It is generally sent out on Thursdays by the office administrator. Weekly Service Booklet: All those attending Sunday services receive a Service Booklet that contains the entire service prayers, music, readings and includes written announcements and messages from the Diocese. People are encouraged to take it home. At the service itself, certain announcements are highlighted by the celebrant or other members of the congregation. Website: St. Marks website at www.stmarksbowery.org contains information on current activities at St. Marks, as well as an archive of sermons and music performed at Sunday services. A number of congregation members have remarked that they came to a Sunday service at St. Marks after listening to a sermon on the website. Other congregation members have said that they often re-listen to the Sunday sermon during the week. The website was re-designed under the leadership of Rev. Winnie Varghese, who updated it regularly. During the interim period, our office administrator is posting sermons and volunteers are adding other posts, but at present there is no official webmaster. Facebook: St. Marks has a Facebook page, which currently contains information about Church activities and activities of our resident arts projects. Since the transition, a member of the Vestry has been posting to Facebook. Basecamp: Basecamp is an internet-based document-sharing and communications site used extensively by staff, the Vestry, and worship leaders (acolytes, readers, ushers, etc.) and the Search Committee. Depending on a persons involvement, he/she is given access to certain areas of Basecamp. Acolytes, ushers and readers can go to Basecamp to sign up for a particular Sunday or to send an email. For example, if an acolyte finds out on a Saturday that she cannot attend the Sunday service, she can send an email to all the other acolytes to find someone who can fill in. The Vestry uses Basecamp extensively as a way to communicate with each other. All documents that the Vestry members need to do their work are posted on Basecamp, e.g. Minutes of Meetings, financial documents, materials that relate to matters on a Vestry agenda, etc. There are also Basecamp sections for committees, such as the Finance Committee, Buildings and Grounds Committee, and Music and Worship Committee. The Sunday Service Booklets are posted on Basecamp, providing an easy way to see how past services were conducted.


Sunday Coffee Hour: This time provides an important opportunity for members of the congregation to communicate with each other, especially those who may be working together on a committee or project.

CHURCH OVERVIEW

Some Recent History and Its Impact on the Present

Two aspects of St. Marks history impact heavily on the present. The first is its relationship with the arts, dating back to the rectorship of Rev. William Norman Guthrie (1911-37). Guthrie revitalized a flagging congregation by bringing the arts into worship and opening up the church to performances of dance, music and poetry, often to the dismay of the Bishop. When Rev. Michael Allen became Rector in 1959, he too reached out to the increasing numbers of poets, writers, dancers, musicians, actors and playwrights who had moved to the Lower East Side. The establishment of the St. Marks Poetry Project, and later Danspace and theater groups, at the church as collaborators with St. Marks occurred during his tenure.

The second aspect that impacted heavily on the present was the designation of St. Marks as an historic landmark in 1966. Ten years later, however, a disastrous fire severely damaged the Sanctuary. The Committee to Save St. Marks (comprised of many people involved with the arts projects) raised money for the restoration. In 1988, another fire destroyed the Ernest Flagg Rectory. Again, the St. Marks Historic Landmark Fund (which grew out of the Committee to Save St. Marks) agreed to raise money to renovate the building in exchange for a 20-year lease. Today, the church is still home to three arts projects, which have leases on the space that they use. While the income from the arts projects and the re-development of the rectory as an historic preservation center has enabled the church to secure much-needed income and to have an apartment for the rector, the relationship to the arts projects has

evolved from a close collaboration to a more formal, albeit friendly, arrangement for sharing space. The 20-year lease on the Rectory will expire in 2020, and how that building will be used will be an important topic of discussion in the coming years. THE VESTRY

The Vestry is composed of eleven members who serve staggered three-year terms. The Vestry includes a mix of long-term and newer congregants and its members bring a wide range of skill and experience to administer the church:

Amelia V. Anderson, Former Executive Assistant, ANZ Banking Group Ltd. (retired and pursing an acting career)

Katrina Anderson, Human Rights Counselor, Center for Reproductive Rights Luke Bauman, Human Resources/Operations Manager, The Gersch Agency Christine Breiner, Ph.D, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Fordham University Rosemary DMonte (Treasurer), Budget Director, Center for Employment Opportunities Emerson Lim, M.D., Oncology Department, New York Presbyterian Hospital


Nanette Pezzutti (Clerk), Freelance Computer Consultant Robert Schoenbohm (Senior Warden), Principal, Lightime Design LLC Diana Sperrazza, Executive Producer, Investigation Discovery, Discovery Communications Judith Volkmann, Esq., Licensed Attorney (retired), Licensed Financial Planner (retired) Roger Walters (Junior Warden), Sales Representative, Pageant Print Shop

Vestry Committees: The Vestry has the following committees:

Finance Committee: currently composed of the Treasurer and Junior Warden (a former CPA); ideally it includes the Treasurer, one warden, the Rector, and a congregation member with particular financial skills. The Finance Committee regularly monitors the financial condition of the church, develops a budget, oversees the annual stewardship campaign, and assists with preparing materials for the audit.

Building & Grounds Committee: generally made up of people who have interest and some qualifications in building maintenance or construction; currently composed of the senior warden, and Paul Pezzutti, a congregation member who is an architect. This committee deals with the nuts and bolts of maintaining the property and addresses both long-term and immediate challenges. This committee worked extensively with architects, the NYC Landmarks Commission and Community Board 3 to develop the ramp project described below. It is currently working to replace the non-functioning clocks in the steeple (one of which became dislodged and had to be removed).

Worship Committee: generally composed of Rector/priest-in-charge, at least one Vestry member, music director, any associate or assisting priests (currently Paul Feuerstein), seminarian (if we have one), and interested members of the congregation.

Capital campaign committee (ad hoc): currently composed of three Vestry members and one congregation member with fundraising expertise. This committee is currently conducting a Ramp It Up campaign (see material in Appendix) to raise the balance of funds needed to complete renovation of the Portico and install a permanent accessibility ramp.

PHYSICAL PLANT

St. Marks campus includes the Sanctuary, Parish Hall, East Yard, West Yard, and the Ernest Flagg Rectory. Three resident arts projects share the space:

Danspace, which holds performances in the Sanctuary on Friday and Saturday evenings during their season, which generally runs from September through May. It has an office on the second floor of the Sanctuary.

The Poetry Project, which has readings in the Parish Hall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with workshops on Tuesday and Thursday. It also has an office on the second floor of the Sanctuary and storage space in the basement.

The New York Ballet Theater, which offers classes for children and adults during the day in the former theater space on the second floor of the parish hall.

The Ernest Flagg Rectory currently houses:

A three-bedroom apartment on the third floor for the Rector The Neighborhood Preservation Center, operated by the St. Marks Historic Landmark Fund, on

the first floor

The Historic Districts Council and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation on the second floor

Both the Parish Hall and Sanctuary are also used for concerts, events and meetings, as well as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) site and the parish food pantry. Both the East and West Yards


are burial grounds. When the yards were renovated in the 70s, the West Yard was landscaped with undulating ivy-covered mounds covering the burial vaults. The West Yard remains a peaceful and contemplative site, and is used extensively in the warmer months for after-church coffee hour, barbecues, an annual Easter Egg hunt, and other events. The East Yard is more open, with the old gravestones now embedded in the ground. During Rev. Vargheses tenure a labyrinth was constructed in the East Yard. The East Yard is used for an annual commemoration of the Day of the Dead organized by Mano a Mano, a Mexican cultural organization. For the past three years

between Palm Sunday and Easter, the East Yard has been filled with bamboo crosses bearing a tee shirt with the name of someone killed during the previous year by gun violence. In the past, the fence surrounding the property held a series of images encased in watertight frames detailing the history of St. Marks. From time to time, the Fence displays banners and provides a way for St. Marks to make a public statement on important issues, such as the Black Lives Matter banner shown below. HISTORIC AND CURRENT CHALLENGES TO MAINTAINING THE SITE

Maintaining the site has been a continual challenge. Although the churchs finances have improved and stabilized considerably in the past decade, there have been times when the church ran at a deficit, not paying bills on time and continually deferring maintenance. The growth of the congregation over the past 20 years, the renegotiation of leases with the arts projects, better oversight and planning on the part of the Vestry Finance Committee, and some successes in capital fundraising have enabled St. Marks to stabilize its finances and take on sorely needed capital projects. For example, over the past two decades, the church has been able to replace the boiler; install a new dimming system and updated controls in the Sanctuary; install snow guards on the roof and make minor repairs on the slate roof; purchase two new induction/electric ranges for the kitchen (obviating the need for an expensive fire suppression system), purchase two refrigerators for the food pantry, and install a water meter to comply with city regulations. In 2012, St. Marks was invited to participate in the Partners in Preservation challenge grant, sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express, in which landmarked sites reached out to their constituencies and asked them to vote on Facebook for their project. St. Marks was awarded the full amount of its request -- $135,000 which was used to renovate the Portico roof and cast iron columns, which had badly deteriorated.

Current Capital Projects

The Vestry and congregation decided to leverage the funds from the Partners in Preservation grant to fulfill a long-standing goal of building a permanent accessibility ramp. Under the leadership of our previous Rector, Rev. Winnie Varghese, St. Marks spent a year working with architects to design a ramp that would successfully blend with the historic character of the building and win approval of both the New York City Landmarks Commission and Community Board 3. Approval was given in 2014 and additional support in the amount of $183,131was secured from congregational pledges, a New York Landmarks Conservancy grant,


and a NY Episcopal Diocese loan. An additional $100,000 is needed to be able to break ground on the project, and the Capital Campaign committee is working to raise that amount through additional grants, donations from local businesses, and a Friends and Family campaign in which congregation members solicit contributions from people they know. The goal is to have work completed by the Fall of 2016. (See Ramp It Up campaign materials in Appendix) In the midst of raising additional money for the ramp project, one of the clocks in the steeple came loose and was in danger of falling. It was temporarily secured with a chain while consultations were made with clock experts and bids were received for replacement and installation. The four clocks in the steeple have not worked since 1991 when they were struck by lightning. All four have deteriorated badly and need to be replaced. St. Marks has received an insurance reimbursement of $40,000 for the clock that became dislodged, and the Building & Grounds Committee is exploring the possibility of getting all four clocks replaced at the same time. Other Major Capital Needs

Despite many repairs over the years, the roof gutters that were never correctly configured during the renovation of the Sanctuary cause leaks as evidenced by damage to the plaster and paint on the balconys ceiling and walls. These will have to be replaced at some point at a cost of some $50,000. With the exception of the Peter Stuyvesant stained glass window, which was recently refurbished with donations from the Holland Dames, all of the stained glass windows on the lower level need to be restored. Panes of glass have come loose on several windows. It is estimated that it will cost $20,000 or more per window to restore them. The fence surrounding the property and its granite base are in need of restoration. Pieces of the fence have fallen off, the granite base is leaning outward and pieces of it have cracked and fallen off. It is estimated that it would cost more than $1 million to restore the fence. Other problems include the inaccessible gutter on the north side of the Parish Hall, which needs to be replaced. There has been considerable deferred maintenance, most notably the need to re-paint the wooden trim of the Sanctuary and Parish Hall, plastering and painting of the interior Sanctuary, and replacing the wooden louvers in the clock tower, which were poorly designed. The carpeting on the

floor and risers of the Sanctuary also needs to be replaced.

FINANCIAL BACKGROUND The overall financial situation of the church has improved in recent years. Financial statements can be found in Appendix 2. Staffing

Current staff includes a full-time Interim Pastor, full-time Sexton, and a Parish Administrator who works approximately 30 hours per week. Other regular part-time staff include a Sunday Sexton and the Music Director. Stewardship

Each year in the fall St. Marks conducts a stewardship campaign to encourage members to make a realizable pledge. A series of announcements and personal testimonies are made during the announcement section of Sunday services. The amount of money pledged during the stewardship campaign is used to create the next years budget. (See Appendix 2 for a breakdown of pledges over the past four years.)


Capital Campaign

As mentioned above, a capital campaign is currently underway to raise funds to complete the ramp project. In addition to special pledges made by congregation members and friends, a grant proposal is pending with the Hyde & Watson Foundation, and a Friends and Family campaign was recently initiated in which congregation members are asked to send letters inviting contributions from friends and family. In addition, a small committee is working to solicit donations from the local business community. (See Appendix 1 for materials on Ramp It Up Campaign.)

St. Marks Landmark Fund and the Rectory Building

As detailed above, the St. Marks Landmark Fund grew out of the Committee to Save St. Marks. The Fund was the major force in raising funds for the renovation of the Church after the disastrous fire in 1978. When fire destroyed the Rectory in 1990, the insurance payment only covered exterior repairs. The St. Marks Landmark Fund proposed taking charge of the interior renovation in exchange for a 20-year lease. Around that time, the Fund had expanded its mission and prioritized setting up the Neighborhood Preservation Center to promote preservation throughout the city. The Rectory renovation included a three-bedroom Rectors apartment on the third floor of the building. Since this apartment was not used by the part-time priests in

charge and interim priests for many years, it was rented and became an important source of revenue for the church at a time when the churchs finances needed to be stabilized in order to get Diocesan approval to call a full-time priest in charge and eventually a Rector. The priest in charge/Rector and the Treasurer or other member of the Vestry are ex-officio members of the board of directors of the Fund. Over the past ten years, the Fund received donations from the Dutch government to renovate the gate and archway to the West Yard, a project that was completed in 2014. The Fund has provided modest funds for capital expenses, but has not aggressively raised funds to support the many capital needs of the Church, preferring to focus on developing the Neighborhood Preservation Center. The 20-year lease on the Rectory will be up in 2020. Prior to that time, St. Marks will need to decide how to use the Rectory and, if used for Church programs, how to fund it. This will be a major issue for the Rector and Vestry in the coming years.


LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Comfort the afflicted & afflict the comfortable

WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT ST. MARKS AND WANT TO CONTINUE Our Parish Survey and two Town Hall Meetings, in which a large percentage of congregants participated, provided a wealth of information on what St. Marks means to current members, what aspects of worship and congregational life members want to see continue, and what qualities we hope the next Rector will have. While St. Marks may be considered an unorthodox community (as far as Episcopal churches go), we are not a laboratory for open-ended experimentation and exploration. We are unconventional in many ways, but our unique conventions and style of worship have been carefully crafted and honed over many years. While we feel strongly about the way that we do things each Sunday, we are not rigid and closed off to change. We are willing to be challenged, but are more receptive to change if it is thoughtfully conceived, clearly communicated, competently implemented, and remains rooted in our Christian and Episcopal heritage. We want a Rector who will, as a preliminary matter, get to know us and how we tick. When a level of trust is established the flock will more readily follow the shepherd in new directions. The following are some of the key elements revealed in the surveys and Town Halls, with a representative sampling of comments from those events. Our liturgy and worshipping in the round Sitting in the round and celebrating communion in a circle --serving each other around the altar table--is a beloved part of our worship and a living symbol of the unity of our community. In our Parish Survey and Town Hall meetings, many members expressed how important this is. For example:

The Eucharist nurtures me spiritually by reminding me that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. As I celebrate this mystery each week, in an inclusive circle with my Sisters and Brothers, I am sometimes moved to tears. Services at St Mark's, at their best, remind me who I am, whose I am, and how those things should shape the way I live and move -- as an individual and as a member of a religious body -- in our sadly broken world.

I love being part of the circle and seeing others in the community. I feel it more seeing their faces as opposed to their backs.

There is power and energy in the circle. I have the ability to be who I am in that circle and not my role. We value sermons that are challenging and disruptive, that keep us active and generate discussions. We cherish inspiring sermons that are firmly grounded in the days readings but which speak powerfully to issues important to our community. Sermons were recorded and posted on the web site, and many congregants remarked that they listened to them again during the week. In our Parish Survey, 94% of congregants said preaching was among the most important aspects of worship.


I started coming to St. Mark's five years ago because it reminded me that the world's values were not God's values. I was spending a lot of time among very competitive people, and it was grounding to come to church and remember there was more to life than cover letters. Winnie's sermons really helped at first because she had a way not of explaining away uncomfortable texts but rather of engaging fully with the Christian tradition to show that it really was about love. Her sermons never let you off the hook, but they presented you with the right hook.

St. Mark's nourishes me most richly through the liturgies that we celebrate each Sunday and throughout the year. Each element of the liturgy is intentional and well-crafted in order to enhance our worship of God, but for me the centerpiece, and most spiritually nurturing elements of the liturgical structure are the Homily and the Eucharist. The preaching that I love at St Mark's is strong, bold, prophetic, intellectually rigorous, topical, expository, socially aware, scripturally based, historically nuanced, and Christ-centered.

Sermons are freeing, in your face, and challenge authority.

Sermons have challenging messages that make you think about and see the world and your place in it differently.

St. Marks has an inclusive liturgy. There is room for the Holy Spirit and powerful sermons shake you out of your comfort zone but are also helpful.

We love the wealth of music from all traditions that is a vital part of our service. In our Parish Survey, two-thirds of respondents included music as among the most important elements of our worship, both in terms of congregational singing and the soloists who perform. Some comments:

Music is amazing, moving and has great diversity. Jeannine and the people she gets to perform are great.

The music under Jeannine is one of the best church music experiences Ive ever had. It often moves me in a deeply spiritual way. I love that we have a diversity of musical forms and such talented singers and musicians.

Services like Good Friday Blues and memorials are special.

The music and the worship service at St. Marks are incredibly nurturing--it gives me a space to breathe and think, space away from the rest of the life, and a chance to be and be present simply as a person.

We are committed to offering a radical welcome. All congregants appreciate the radical welcome and younger people in particular have remarked that St. Marks represents a safe space and a stable anchor within the chaos of New York City.

St. Mark's is a place where your whole being is welcomed. We bring our hearts and our minds to worship. This acceptance makes the church feel like a safe place to be vulnerable in worship and encounter God.

I believe the very core value of St. Mark's is its inclusivity - the fact that it really does invite everybody to take part, and that it works for social justice in the world.


The experience a person has when they first come is important. Years ago, a group of Buddhist monks who came to observe the service were welcomed into the circle, took communion and said it was the most profound experience they had in their travels to witness other religious services.

You are welcome wherever you are in your spiritual journey.

St. Marks is inclusive you can bring newcomers or people who may not be comfortable in a more formal service.

We are committed to social justice. The theme of St. Marks commitment to social justice recurred repeatedly throughout the comments made in the Parish Survey and at our two Town Hall meetings. There is general consensus that we would like a Rector who can guide us in liberation theology and awareness of current social issues. We like opportunities for involvement in current actions, including collaborations with other congregations and groups.

I love the emphasis on social justice, and also for the applications of social justice not just in the public, external world but also in the context of my personal faith journey.

Social justice and a progressive outlook in the world is something I see as a core value of the congregation. Fighting for justice for minorities and people who don't have a voice is something that we care deeply about. I think this is also reflected in the way most things are approached - from the way we accept visitors and new members to the committee we have for social justice to the campaign for the accessibility ramp.

To me St. Mark's is a community deeply rooted in our Christian faith and Episcopal heritage. We are neither ashamed of those identities, nor are we unwilling to call out the Church regarding things that we have historically gotten wrong. As an outgrowth of that solid grounding, we are radically inclusive, and firmly committed to social engagement, activism, and change.

Other Recurring Themes Relating to the community while continuing to be a church destination. As the demographic data above indicate, approximately 23% of congregation members live in the immediate neighborhood and can walk to church. A significant number travel from upper Manhattan and the other boroughs and from New Jersey. We want to continue to be a church destination, but at the same time attract more people from the immediate neighborhood, particularly families. It is not uncommon that couples who live in the immediate neighborhood move away after having a child because their apartments are too small and they cannot find anything larger that is affordable. However, there are still many families in the community and interest within the congregation on finding ways to attract them and to have interesting programs for children. Transience is also an issue, with many people living in New York for a few years and then moving away for employment or other reasons. Building community. The descriptions of worship and parish life in this Profile all speak to the importance of building community through the way we welcome people, worship, foster participation in worship and activities, and interact with each other. There is clear agreement that all of these things should continue to be developed by the next Rector. Many members want to see St. Marks grow in numbers without losing the intimacy that we currently have.


A competent administrator. Members realize that St. Marks, although small, is a complex place to manage and maintain. We need an individual who not only leads us spiritually, but who is a skilled administrator who can maintain and enhance relationships with the arts and cultural organizations that share our space. It is also important that the next Rector be capable of addressing the requirements of a landmarked site and generating resources to maintain the site. A collaborator. The congregation has great trust in our Vestry and lay leadership, who have taken on difficult responsibilities in transition periods and who have done an excellent job of holding things together. Many of our lay leaders have long experience dealing with the various aspects of the church, and we need the next Rector to be a true collaborator. Our Rector will need to know when to ask, and who to ask, for help. Pastoral Care. Another recurrent theme throughout the Parish Profile and Town Halls was the need for greater attention to individual members who are sick or who otherwise need the communitys support. While there are several parishioners who visit members who are homebound or in nursing homes, this is an area that many people feel needs a more consistent and organized approach. Incorporating seminarians. Over the past several years St. Marks has officially hosted a number of seminarians from Union and General Seminaries, and these individuals have enriched our community in many ways. We like to support Seminarians and spark their interest in our church. THE QUALITIES OF THE NEXT RECTOR On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, the following attributes of a Rector were rated 7 or higher in our Parish Survey:

Passion for social justice and an active connection with larger social issues locally, nationally, and globally.

Presents challenging, progressive, and socially-aware sermons. Actively supports and promotes cultural and racial diversity, communicates well with members

of all races and backgrounds, and is able to address a broad range of concerns.

Has a sense of humor, even under pressure. Pastoral skills: exhibits a pastoral presence, provides counseling, makes frequent contact with or

visits to parishioners who need support.

Knowledge of how to grow a congregation: fundraising, programming, and outreach. Commitment to connecting with and serving the local community. Ability to empower lay leaders and encourage participation in St. Marks programs and parish

life.

Ability to enrich and deepen the spiritual life of the St. Marks community. Welcoming and social. Committed to the active support and inclusion of those of all gender identities and sexual

orientations.

Enthusiastic and energetic. Attends to his/her own spiritual life, and is a model for the community. Administrative skills: can manage an office and supervise personnel. Ability to maintain relationships and administer contracts with tenants of St. Marks.


Has an appreciation for the arts and music and actively works to incorporate them into the worship and community life of St. Marks. Financial skills: knows basic accounting and budget management.

Some representative comments on what we hope for in our next Rector follow: I hope the next rector will have a prophetic voice and can speak powerfully during their sermons on issues important to our community. Id like for them to be a good steward of the finances and the grounds, making sure that the rectory is returned to the church on time and that the space can be used as a source of income and for church priorities. I hope that the next rector would be able to grow the community further and, in doing so, allow us to have a more diverse congregation and a more diverse repertoire of committees and services that come out of the church. It would be nice for St. Marks to become again an institution in the East Village with a presence in the community, not just as a landmark building but as a place that people look to for leadership, community organizing, and help. I hope they will build on what we have started, by emphasizing our openness to people who are searching, our diversity, and our connection to social justice issues. I hope they also are a model for living in community and have a pastoral presence showing us how to be warm and loving to each other, and to encourage spiritual growth. Most of all, they need to be very smart/savvy and able to encourage people to take leadership positions. I hope our next rector will both help us to implement and find tangible ways to become more politically active and engaged in our community and to confront the larger social justice issues and also to foster additional ways to nurture and develop our community. I think developing more pastoral care services and opportunities for spiritual growth will be particularly important. It is important to focus on maintaining and building the congregation. Key to that is having excellent preaching and a well-executed Sunday service that makes people want to come back and formally join, along with opportunities for people to participate in the service itself as well as in social justice activities. I would like to see the Rector develop better ways of reaching out to the immediate community, especially to families with children. Few families with children come because there is nothing for the kids. Continue to be guided by both justice and Episcopal tradition. I believe the religious tradition of this churchliturgy, Bible stories, etc.lend it power. Causes and goals are vital, but we are more than a political movement. Continue to pull the stories and character of the East Village into what we do. I dont even live in the East Village, and I think this is important. Young Brooklynites are wonderful (I am one!), but the folks who have lived nearby and worshipped for decades have so much to give and should remain a core part of our congregation.

Appendix 1

Expanded History of St. Marks in-the-Bowery

Ramp Campaign Fact Sheet

Ramp It Up Flyer

2016 Needs Assessment: Community Board 3

1

HISTORY OF ST. MARKS CHURCH IN THE BOWERY The Origins of St. Marks

In 1651, Petrus Stuyvesant, the Director-General of the Dutch colony of New Netherlands, purchased land for his farm from the Dutch West India Company and by 1660 had erected a Dutch Reformed Chapel on his property. Stuyvesant died in 1672 and was buried in a vault under his chapel. Later, his great grandson rebuilt the chapel as an Episcopal church, and in 1777 architect John McComb built the sanctuary of the church in late

Georgian style. In 1793, Stuyvesants great grandson sold the property to the Episcopal Church for $1, stipulating that a new chapel should be erected. In 1795, the cornerstone of the present-day St. Marks was laid and in 1799 the church was completed and consecrated. Alexander Hamilton provided legal aid in incorporating St. Marks as the first Episcopal parish independent of Trinity Wall Street. By 1807 the church had as many as 200 worshippers at summer services and 70 during the winter. The 19th Century

The church was home to many notable families of the day as evidenced by those who are buried in the church yards. They include Nicholas Fish, Revolutionary War soldier and father of Hamilton Fish, New York Governor and U.S. Senator; Augustus Van Horne Ellis, bridadier general in the Union Army, killed at the Battle of Gettysburg; Philip Hone, merchant and Mayor of New York; Gideon Lee, Mayor of New York and U.S. Representative; Thomas Addis Emmet, lawyer and NY State Attorney General; Commodore Matthew c. Perry; Daniel D. Tompkins, Vice President of the United States under President James Monroe and former Governor of New York, and many others. The parishioners of St. Mark's Church in the 19th century were families that could afford to rent pews. The community of the Bowery Village could not afford this, and during the rectorship of Alex H. Vinton in the 1860s, the St. Mark's Mission Chapel was established on Avenue A near 10th Street. The chapel, which was funded by St. Mark's Parish, conducted free services and held Sunday school classes for this poorer constituency. The Mission also hosted Christmas and Thanksgiving festivities, and supported an Industrial school, which taught practical skills such as sewing. In an 1873-74 report, the Rev. S.A. McNulty indicated that the free chapel services were well attended, and that Sunday school students and teachers numbered around 450. The infant and middle schools were also well attended. The Ladies Benevolent Society, founded in 1861, was another community outreach project for the parish of St. Mark's. Organized by the upper-class women of St. Mark's Church, the organization sought to fund charitable projects by collecting dues from its members. According to its mission statement, its foremost goal was to provide for the "destitute" children in their mission schools, and secondly to create work for the poor and capable women of the area. The members of the society employed poor women on various garment-making projects, and paid them wages from the society's funds. Some of the garments went directly to the children from the mission schools, while others were sold by the society to raise more money for charity. For example, in December of 1862, the society raised money and sewed garments for the injured soldiers of the battle of Fredericksburg. They would also periodically visit the poor of their own parish to explore living conditions, and attempt to relieve situations as they were able.

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The 19th century a saw many projects to improve the church sanctuary and construct additional buildings. In 1828, a Greek revival style steeple was added, and shortly thereafter work began on a two-story fieldstone Sunday School. In 1835, a stone parish hall was built and in 1836 the sanctuary was renovated, replacing the square pillars with slender Egyptian revival pillars. In 1838, St. Marks established the Parish Infant School for Poor Children and enclosed the property with a cast and wrought iron fence. In 1856, the cast iron Portico in the Italianate tradition was added, and in 1861 the brick addition to the building was constructed. From 1885 to 1903 the patterned stained glass windows were installed.

At the end of the 19th Century, construction began on the Rectory on East 11th Street, designed by architect Ernest Flagg, and was finished in 1901. The 20th Century

While the 19th Century saw St. Marks church grow through many construction projects, the 20th Century would be marked by community service and cultural expansion. The demographics of the neighborhood were changing. The 1904 sinking of the General Slocum passenger steamer that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 children and women devastated the German community of the Lower East Side, and thousands of families moved out of the area. Wealthier families who had long been the backbone of the church migrated to more luxurious neighborhoods uptown and the Lower East Side became home to a growing community of artists

and writers. Dr. Loring Batten Combining Religion and Psychotherapy: The Reverend Dr. Loring Batten, rector of St. Mark's Church from 1899 to 1911, ushered the parish into the 20th Century. He was also the first of the rectors to begin breaking from the traditional types of church mission work. Dr. Batten envisioned a new way to help the less fortunate of his congregation: combining psychotherapy with religion in the form of hypnosis. Using collections that he received from the church, Dr. Batten focused on curing alcoholics, who at the time would have had ample opportunity to drink at the alehouses of Bowery Road. He experimented with psychotherapy for several years before perfecting a method that he believed would cure drunkards completely of their need for alcohol. All that was needed, he claimed, was for patients to desire the cure, and his methods of light hypnosis would take care of the rest. The chief opponent to his method, he believed, was the abundance of saloons that his patients would encounter on their return home. Though he kept quiet for the first few years of experimentation, Dr. Batten eventually welcomed the press to his mission, which was free of charge as an extension of the church. He claimed a one hundred percent success rate, with only a few reported backsliders who were also eventually cured through the treatment. In 1911, Dr. Batten retired from the rectorship to teach at the General Theological Seminary. Rev. William Norman Guthrie and the Arts: The Rev. Dr. William Norman Guthrie, Rector of St. Mark's from 1911 to 1937, had the strongest influence on the St. Mark's Parish of today. When he assumed leadership of the church, he found a flagging congregation from a neighborhood that was decreasingly interested in the church. He considered the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer to be outdated, and strove to draw the population back to the church through unorthodox methods. In

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1911, he hired professional singers to play up the power of the religious experience. In 1920, he began a series of dance performances during services, which raised eyebrows and drew negative press on account of the women being too scantily clad. (The dancers were, in actuality, fully clothed in white robes but were barefooted.) In 1922 a performance by Isadora Duncan was canceled at the last minute as was a later talk she was scheduled to give due to the intervention of William T. Manning, Bishop of New York. The eight-year split with the Bishop only ended when Guthrie put an end to the dances. Instead, he began inviting guests of different religions, such as Hinduism, Baha'i, and various Native American tribes, to hold services in their own spiritual traditions. Guthrie nurtured personal relationships with the eras most renowned dancers, poets and musicians and made St. Marks a cultural as well as spiritual center. In 1919, Guthrie appointed poet Kahlil Gibran a member of the St. Marks Arts Committee. During the 1920s, the churchs yards became a contemplative and inspirational garden for artists and churchgoers, and two prominent Indian statues, Aspiration, and Inspiration by sculptor Solon Borglum were installed. In 1926, William Carlos Williams lectured at the Churchs Sunday Symposium Series; in 1930 Martha Graham danced at the Church; and in 1933 Ruth St. Denis performed, with Guthrie reading St. Denis poems between what the New York Times described as her exotic religious dances. Guthrie also developed a relationship with architect Frank Lloyd Wright who in 1929 presented plans to build two high rise towers on St. Marks grounds, a project scuttled by the Depression. In July of 1923, Dr. Guthrie opened the Body and Soul Clinic with the goal of combining bodily and spiritual healing for patients. Dr. Edward Spencer Cowles, a Manhattan psychiatrist, directed the clinic and six physicians, while Dr. Guthrie led a group of ministers who attempted to bring spiritual peace to the minds of the patients. In the first three months of its existence, more than 2,000 people were treated, mostly for various nervous disorders, and the clinic claimed a ninety percent success rate. When people came to them, they were given physical examinations to determine any physical illness, then a mental history interview, and finally spiritual advice and meditations from the ministers. Many instances cited of successful healing were less physical and more mental: a woman who feared to ride ferries alone, or another who feared that she had denied her Lord in a revival meeting. Many poor children, however, were given a first opportunity to see doctors who could diagnose and treat injuries from birth and early childhood. Children or adult, the clinic offered relief to the St. Mark's community until 1932, when the church's Vestry went against Dr. Guthrie's wishes and withdrew their support of the clinic. The community, and Dr. Cowles, did not want to comply with the decision, and the Vestry had to resort to locking the church during hours when the clinic normally operated. Following in the tradition established by Dr. Guthrie, St. Mark's Church continued to support the arts throughout the twentieth century. Rev. Michael Allen Arts and Activism: When Rev. Michael Allen became Rector of St. Marks in 1959, the civil rights movement was in full swing, W.H. Auden was a member of the parish, and rising rents on the west side of Broadway caused a bohemian drift to the Lower East Side. Throughout the 60s, the Lower East Side was the counterculture center of New York City and home to increasing numbers of poets, writers, dancers, musicians, actors and playwrights. The public housing projects along the East River and the tenements east of Avenue Aformerly home to working class Jews and waves of European immigrantswere now populated with low-income Puerto Rican, Dominican and Black families. The area also had one of the highest incidences of juvenile delinquency in the city, prompting the federal and city governments to pour millions into

4

Mobilization for Youth, a project aimed at providing a wide range of social services to youth and families to end the cycle of poverty.

Like Guthrie, Rev. Allen befriended many of the poets and artists living and working in the area. In 1961, free jazz concerts were held in the West Yard on Sunday afternoons, organized by Archie Shepp of the Umbra Poetry Collective. In 1963, Umbra organized the Freedom North arts festival at the church, saluting the Freedom Movement and showcasing the work of African-American artists. Ralph Cook, playwright and friend of Rev. Allen, founded Theatre Genesis, an experimental playwrights group that operated out of St. Marks for its entire 14-season run,

until 1977. Theatre Genesis produced Sam Shepherds Cowboys and Rock Garden at the church, and Ralph Cook became Lay Minister for the Arts at St. Marks. In 1965, experimental films were screened at the church, coordinated by John Rockman, who later developed The Film Project. 1966 was an important year for the church. St. Marks was designated a historic landmark. The designation report stated, What is most remarkable, in the case of this church, is the fact that elements of such diverse periods should harmonize so well, achieving a singularly attractive whole. The Poetry Project was founded that year as the direct successor to and continuation of various coffeehouse reading series that had flourished on the Lower East Side since 1960. That same year, St. Marks was invited to submit a proposal for funding to the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), which was supporting projects earmarked for the socialization of juvenile delinquents. Working with The Poetry Project, Theatre Genesis and The Film Project, the church received a two-year $200,000 grant to support the arts projects..

During the 60s the church yards had declined, with graves frequently desecrated and graffiti continually appearing on the fence. The Preservation Youth Project and Work Training Program were launched to provide stipended employment and training for youth in the community aged 16-19. Over six summers, youth in the project worked to transform the yards, creating the undulating, ivy-covered mounds now gracing the West Yard, and the East Yard was turned into a playground for use by mothers and local daycare groups who had complained that the yards were unsafe due to years of neglect and frequent vandalism. In 1968, half of the pews were removed from the Sanctuary to accommodate dance and other performances. That same year Rev. Allen hired Steve Facey to oversee the arts projects. Facey later assumed the role of parish administrator and sought alternate sources of funding for the arts project and historic preservation after

the HEW grant ran out. Rev. David Garcia was also hired that year as an assistant. When Allen left in 1970, Garcia became priest in charge and then Rector. In 1969, the church became the centerpiece of the St. Marks Historic District, which included most buildings on East 10th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues and Stuyvesant Street.

The 60s and 70s were a period of upheaval on the Lower East Side as low-income and working class Latinos and Blacks demanded better housing, schools, daycare and health services. When public

5

school teachers went on strike in 1968, St. Marks joined community activists in keeping local schools open. Later, church members supported the Por los Ninos movement of Latino parents seeking greater participation in their childrens education and in selecting principals and administrators. Several years later, after the parent movement was crushed, Rev. David Garcia ran successfully for a seat on the school board of the newly decentralized community school district, and held it until 1989. 1969 also saw the emergence of the Black and Brown Caucus within the congregation, which raised demands for more cultural sensitivity to changing demographics in the community, financial support for a library for Third World Studies, and for members of the Caucus to be included in leadership positions within the church. The demands were largely met. In 1970, the Black Panthers and the Young Lords used the Rectory basement as a communications center, prompting many visits from FBI agents.

The arts continued to flourish at St. Marks. In 1971, a poetry reading by Patti Smith, accompanied by Lenny Kaye on guitar, launched their rock n roll careers and marked the founding of the Patti Smith Group. In 1975, The Danspace Project was founded by Larry Fagin, Assistant Director of the Poetry Project, and Barbara Dilly, a dancer, to provide a venue for new choreographers and small dance troupes to perform. Recognizing the potential of the Sanctuary for dance performances, the remaining pews were removed in 1976.

In 1975 the Preservation Youth project expanded to a full-time work training program with the mission to preserve St. Marks exterior. It provided year-round employment for 25 young people. Friends of St. Marks was formed to support the full-time work and training schedule. Among its members were Dore Ashton, William S. Burroughs, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Allen Ginsberg, Margaret Mead, LuEsther Mertz, Meredith Monk and Lewis Mumford.

Renovation of the Sanctuary and Two Disastrous Fires: In 1976, a $500,000 restoration of the Sanctuary began. It was almost complete in 1978 when a welders torch ignited a fire that threatened the entire church. Part of the roof collapsed, the organ was crushed, and the new wooden floor of the Sanctuary was demolished. To contain the fire and prevent even further damage, firefighters had no choice but to vent the fire by wiping out the upper stained glass windows with high-power hoses. The loss of St. Marks was deeply felt throughout the community and generated an immediate response. The day after the fire people came together to form Citizens to Save St. Marks, which included many of the people involved in Friends of St. Marks. The Preservation Youth Project undertook reconstruction, supervised by architect Harold Edelman and I. Maas & Sons. Citizens to Save St.

Marks raised $2 million for the work and in 1979, with a $100,000 grant from LuEsther Mertz, it became the St. Marks Historic Landmark Fund, whose original mission was to support the landmarked site. The restoration included the installation of uniquely modern stained glass windows on the balcony level and the construction of banked seating around the perimeter of the Sanctuary and was completed in 1986.

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Two years later in 1988, disaster struck again as a fire destroyed the Ernest Flagg Rectory, where Rev. David Garcia lived with his wife and son. An insurance payment funded the $1.1 million exterior renovation, which included a new copper mansard roof, a new stucco faade, and large double hung windows, with much work done by the Preservation Youth Project. The insurance was insufficient to cover the cost of interior renovation. The St. Marks Landmark Fund proposed taking responsibility for renovating the Rectory in exchange for a 20-year lease. The Church agreed and work began in 1997. Completed two years later, the renovation created a three-bedroom apartment for the Rector on the third floor. The first floor became home to the newly created Neighborhood Preservation Center, and the second floor was occupied by the Historic Districts Council and the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. The LuMertz Donor Advised Fund of the New York Community Trust and the New York State Council on the Arts provided $700,000 for the project.

Recent History: By the time Rev. Garcia left in1990, St. Marks congregation had dwindled, with fewer than 20 people attending Sunday services. The Diocese decided that St. Marks needed to get its financial house in order before it could call another rector. Between 1990 and the arrival of Rev. Winnie Varghese in 2009, the congregation was led by several priests-in-charge. In the early 90s, under Canon Lloyd Casson, the congregation grew and Casson took steps to improve the churchs financial situation by executing formal rental contracts with the arts partners, moving the

relationship from a collaboration to one of landlord-tenant , albeit a friendly landlord. He also brought in Richard Foremans Ontological Hysteric Theater, an experimental theater that remained in residence until the end of its 2009-10 season. Canon Casson was followed by Rev. Clark Trafton, who also served on a part-time basis and who continued to build the congregation. The apartment in the rectory designated for the Rector was not used by Casson or Trafton and the rental income helped to stabilize the churchs finances. In 2000, the Diocese gave St. Marks permission to hire a full-time priest in charge. Rev. Julio Torres served as priest in charge from approximately 2001-2006 but had neither the support of the congregation nor the Diocese to become rector. Rev. John Denaro was interim priest-in-charge for two years, and in 2009, Rev. Winnie Varghese was hired as priest in charge and later became Rector. Rev. Varghese was a skilled community builder as well as an inspiring preacher and under her guidance the congregation grew both in numbers and in unity of purpose, devoting more energy to social justice issues. Attendance increased markedly, and participation by the congregation in the church expanded dramatically, with many more people serving as readers, ushers, acolytes, etc. The comments from congregation members gathered through the parish survey and town hall meetings (detailed below) are testament to Rev. Vargheses successful tenure.

All are

welcome

in this

place.

Lets RAMP IT UP!

All are welcome, all are welcome in

this place is a refrain from a popu-

lar hymn we frequently sing at St.

Marks Church in the Bowery.

We need your help now to translate

those words into stone. Because

the reality is that those of us who use

wheelchairs or walkers, have balance

problems, or suffer the pain of arthritis

or injuries, are less welcome because

St. Marks lacks an appropriate acces-

sibility ramp.

With your help, we can RAMP IT UP!

For more than two years our congre-

gation has been working to build a

permanent accessibility ramp that is

ADA compliant and respects the his-

toric character of St. Marks. The

project includes building a ramp and

refurbishing the front steps and Portico

floor, both of which are in serious

disrepair.

This is no ordinary ramp! It begins at

the center gate, rises gently toward

the East Yard, and then comes around

to the front of the church, ending at the

main center door. Once complete,

everyone will be able to enter the

church in a safe and dignified manner,

and everyone will enter through the

front doors.

The project will cost $350,000. Many

in the congregation have already

made pledges toward the $100,000

that is still needed to begin construc-

tion. But were not there yet, and your

support at this critical juncture will

make our vision of a truly welcom-

ing place a reality.

Help us RAMP IT UP! by making a

special, one-time contribution to the

ramp project. We encourage contribu-

tions of any amount, all donations are

fully tax-deductible and will publicly

acknowledged.

Words are not turned into stone

every day. We have an historic

opportunity to make it happen now!

St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery RAMP IT UP! Campaign131 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003

Have a question? Call or email our office at 212-674-6377 or [email protected]

St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery

RAMP IT UP! CAMPAIGN A Campaign to Restore the Historic Portico and

Make the Site Accessible to People with Disabilities

We ask you to join the congregation of St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery and our resident arts projects in completing a community campaign to restore the Historic Portico and construct a ramp that will enable people with disabilities to enter the site safely and with dignity through the main door.

About the Site St. Marks Church in-the-Bowery, a designated Historic Landmark and the oldest site of continuous worship in New York City, is an iconic structure in lower Manhattan. It is home to a small but vibrant Episcopal congregation, along with three resident arts projects Danspace, St. Marks Poetry Project, and the New York Theatre Ballet. The site is used extensively for cultural events and community meetings; in the course of a year, more than 70,000 people attend events at the site. Maintaining a 217-year-old historic landmarked building is expensive. The Historic Portico floor and steps leading up to it are in serious disrepair. Adding a permanent accessibility ramp while at the same time respecting the historical integrity of the site presented a formidable architectural challenge. After working with architects, the local Community Board, and the New York City Landmarks Commission for more than a year, St. Marks won approval of an innovative design for a permanent ramp that will allow people with disabilities to enter the site through the center gates and enter the church through the center door.

Why the RAMP IT UP! Project? As a welcoming congregation, St. Marks believes that everyone should be able to enter our site safely and with dignity, and no one should be relegated to the back door or asked to navigate wobbly, portable ramps. Likewise, we believe that an ADA-compliant ramp will allow large numbers of people with disabilities each year to enjoy the sites cultural and educational events. Few, if any, historic landmarked churches have attempted to design, no less build, a permanent ramp that respects the historic integrity of their buildings. St. Marks RAMP IT UP! Project is unique in taking on such a challenge and showing the community that with creativity and tenacity, it can be done!

The Scope of RAMP IT UP! Project

The RAMP IT UP! Project is the second phase of the restoration of the Historic Portico. Phase I, completed with philanthropic funding, restored the Portico roof and cast iron pillars, which had severely deteriorated over time. The second phase will replace the bluestone flags on the Portico floor and restore the granite front steps, all badly damaged. As the accompanying renderings indicate, the ramp begins at sidewalk level at the center gate on East 10th Street, gently rises to the East Yard, then comes around to the front of the building right to the center doors of the church. This ramp design allows everyone to enter the site safely and with dignity.

The Economic Benefits to the Community of the Ramp and Portico Renovation The ramp and renovation have many additional benefits, including:

Promotion of the Arts: By improving the safety, accessibility, sustainability and beauty of the site, the project will have a positive impact on the promotion of the arts in lower Manhattan and reinforces the areas historic strength as a center of cutting-edge events and performances.

Promoting Historic Tourism: By addressing accessibility and rehabilitation, the project will contribute to historic tourism. The site attracts a continuous stream of walking tours and tour buses, and many passers-by stop in out of curiosity. The site is also a popular destination for schoolchildren on trips to study the history of New Amsterdam.

Promoting Overall Economic Activity: Accessibility and restoration will make the site more attractive for cultural events, weddings, educational activities, and TV/movie shoots, all of which help support St. Marks social programs, educational events and arts projects and help the small businesses in the community.

What We Need to Complete the Project We hope we can count on your generous support to raise the $100,000 needed to complete the project. Our goal is to have all work completed by the fall of 2016. It is an ambitious goal, but we are confident we can reach it with your help. All supporters will be acknowledged in printed materials and publicity announcements that will accompany the Opening Ceremony. The names of those who contribute $1,000 or more will be engraved on a commemorative plaque that will be prominently displayed near the entrance of the church. Your support at whatever level will show your commitment to support the rights of people with disabilities and your commitment to ensure that St. Marks remains a vibrant religious, cultural and educational resource for the lower Manhattan community.

Source: New York City 311 Service Requests, 2015

Cover - Parish Profile.pdfPARISH PROFILE.pdfAppendix 1 Cover Page.pdfAPPENDIX 1- HISTORY.pdf8) RAMP IT UP!.pdf7) Ramp It Up Fact Sheet.pdf9) District Needs Statement for Fiscal Year 2011 - fy_2017_needs_statement.pdf

Documents

St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery Parish Profile 2016